


Howard's End

by peoriapeoria



Series: Bucky's Luck [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2013-02-04
Packaged: 2017-11-28 04:06:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/670089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peoriapeoria/pseuds/peoriapeoria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky survived WWII and now it's slipping into history.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Howard's End

Peggy was getting old. It wasn't unkind, she was eighty years old. She could still drop a man with her fist. She needed the odd nap these days, and no longer had the stamina for troop transports or even long stretches of sitting. She was still beautiful, just not the same sort of beauty so many wars ago.

That was what she said was her secret. Not the hours of tai chi, or time in the pool, her careful diet. She said she was too busy outwitting terrorists and short-sighted politicians. Peggy frequently made it known which was more vexing.

Bucky, he still thought of himself as Bucky, did not look to be eighty. Nor sixty, not even forty-five. He could pass among his own grandchildren. Sometimes he looked younger than Tony Stark.

Tony. Howard shouldn't have married so late, and he shouldn't have been so distracted. Oh, he did try, even if Bucky did have to hold him to the fire. Tony was brilliant and didn't let people forget it. The problem was he didn't believe it.

And now, Howard was dead. Bucky wished him peace, and figured that Steve could get him past St. Peter. Bucky looked over the assembled mourners. Generals, senators, suppliers, a few directors. Maria had preceded Howard in death, she and Tony's stillborn sister.

Obadiah Stane had tried getting Tony up before the gathered. Bucky didn't like the man. Gabe had noticed the problem and spoke about their mad inventor. No matter who Howard had become after the war, the fact was he'd taken a chance, a big chance and that had let Steve save four hundred men.

There weren't many of them left now. The war, poor choices, old age had taken so many. Except for Steve, all the Commandos survived the war. Dum Dum had survived several others. Now they were down to three, and Falsworth no longer could travel.

Four, counting Peggy.


End file.
